HIURA, KESTON

Position: Second Base

DOB: August 2, 1996

Height: 5’11” / Weight: 190

Bats: Right / Throws: Right

40-man roster: No

How acquired: Drafted (1st Round, 2017)

Profile: Selected by Milwaukee with the ninth overall pick in the first round in 2017 following his junior season at UC Irvine, Hiura signed with the Brewers for a bonus of $4 million. Considered by many to be the best college bat available in the draft, there were questions about Hiura’s ability to play the field due to an elbow injury which forced him to DH all season long. The Brewers opted to have Hiura forego surgery and put him on a throwing program instead, assigning him to their affiliate in the Arizona League. He tore through the AZL, quickly earning a promotion to Class-A Wisconsin, where he finished out the season, finally playing the field late in the year. With a short, compact swing and impressive bat speed, Hiura could seemingly role out of bed and hit .300. He squares up everything and uses the whole field, producing average or better power. The throwing plan that the Brewers and Hiura opted for seems to have worked out as he played second base during instructional league and received favorable reports for his defense.

2017: Hiura was sent to the Arizona League after signing, where he worked as the team’s designated hitter and dominated AZL pitching. He hit .435/.500/.839 with three doubles, five triples and four home runs in just 15 games before receiving a promotion to Class-A Wisconsin. He played in 27 more games with the Timber Rattlers, and continued to excel at the plate, batting .333/.374/.476 with 11 doubles and a pair of triples.